Marjorie Bowen (1885–1952)

Marjorie Bowen, the pen name of Margaret Gabrielle Long (née Campbell), was born in Hampshire on 1 November 1885. Never sent to school, and suffering significant poverty during her youth, she read voraciously and taught herself foreign languages, becoming a prolific and admired writer. Her work straddled many genres, including gothic and fantasy, crime and historical romance, biography and autobiography. Bowen was actively involved with the humanist movement, including through the Rationalist Press Association and the South Place Ethical Society. Her obituary in The Literary Guide is reproduced below.

_{From: The Literary Guide, February 1953}

MARJORIE BOWEN

Mrs. GABRIELLE Long, best known as Marjorie Bowen, who died on December 23 as the result of a fall earlier in the year, joined in active work for freedom of the mind in the years just before the last War. She delivered the Conway Memorial lecture in 1939, made an impressive address at the R.P.A. Dinner of that year, was elected an Honorary Associate in 1940 and a Director in 1948. She was a frequent attendant at R.P.A. Conferences and Dinners and at Conway Hall gatherings, and a regular and valuable member of the Board, and was always ready to help in any way she could.

Three of her books appeared in the Thinker’s Library—The Church and Social Progress, Wrestling Jacob (a study of John Wesley), and The Life of John Knox. She was a most prolific writer of historical romances, of which one of her best dealt with Giordano Bruno (The Triumphant Beast). In the last year or two she suffered from failing health; her final platform appearance at Conway Hall was at the memorial meeting to Adam Gowans Whyte in 1950, though she attended the 1951 Conference at Beatrice Webb House. 

Recently she felt out of touch with our Movement and left it shortly before her death. We are deeply grateful to her for twelve years’ wholehearted collaboration, during which we learned to appreciate a fine character with respect and friendship. 

C.B.B. [Charles Bradlaugh Bonner]

_{Main image: Marjorie Bowen (Mrs Gabrielle Margaret Vere Long) by Howard Coster, bromide print, 1936, NPG x3428 © National Portrait Gallery, London}